Social Media: Now What?

First allow me to tell you a little bit about what brings me here, to this place and time.

In January 2010, I was doing marketing for a small business in Fort Smith, Arkansas that had a shoe-string budget and wanted to reach as many of their target audience as possible with little to no investment. I knew where there was a will there was a way, but there was only so much time in the day. Conventional means just were not cutting it. So for the sake of my job, my client’s reputation and to produce results I began to look into Social Media marketing. In that month, I did the market research, formed a plan and launched. I started with a Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter account, began blogging here on WordPress and eventually took a column with Examiner.com.

Not only did I discover that Social Media was just another set of tools like the world wide web, email, websites, and cell phones, but I discovered a passion! So I began taking on other clients in the Greater Fort Smith Region. I discovered yet another passion!

Of course I, like other Social Media pessimists, at first thought that it was a waste of time and unnatural way of communicating. But I had clients that expressed needs and I had discovered a wonderful way to increase their exposure and help them meet their goals to solve their problems.
So with my doubts, my reservations, all the necessary time investment and the world-wide transparency and the nay saying of my friends and family, why did I continue? Why did I bother? I love to connect with people. I value honesty and equality. Social Media networking and marketing were the perfect fit. I got to do the things I enjoyed, met tons of awesome people from all walks of life, and was learning a new tool set, wherein I could write, share, and help others. Little did I know that in 2010 SM networking would be the most significant business development of the year. I saw the value.

I am excited! Tomorrow afternoon, May 19th, 2001, just 16 short months after taking the plunge I have the opportunity to stand before 50 of my friends and colleagues from across the state and share my passions with them. Don’t you wish you could be there?